Did anyone else notice this in Bush's speech at the convention?

[Th1onein]

Bush talked about setting up "Zones Of Opportunity" in poor areas. This sounds a little bit like the Nazis herding the Jews into the ghettos. Hey, if you're poor, you have to go to a "ZOO" to get help. All the poor people are in the ZOOs, just like the Jews were all in the ghettos. Easier to round them up, ship them off, and kill them that way.

[MuseRider]

1. I never quite figured

out what the hell he was talking about. It did creep me out when he said it. "Zones" huh? Will we fence them in where they are or build them and bring the poor into them? Huh? Bush* never has made any damned sense but it sure is creepy. At least they will have hospitals especially for them. :puke:

[shockingelk]

8. tax cuts for businesses

The idea is that taxes on businesses in depressed geographical areas are lowered to stimulate them.

It was done in MN, and on it's own I don't object to the idea when done right within a state that's generally doing good, put has depressed areas.

But it seems a stupid idea if your intention is to grow jobs generally. You first have to have a demand for labor before you decide what you're going to do with it.

And as soon as Bush said it, I wondered if it would be constitutional to for the federal government to reduce (or raise) taxes geographiocally.

Additionally, if done with anything but a split congress it would turn into a partisan bickerfest. I mean, a Republican is not going to like the idea of of a Democratic congressional district getting a tax break which would encourage people to move from their district to a Democrats.

This would be as bad or worse than redistricting.

[punpirate]

2. I think this is a "compassionate conservatism"...

... version of the older "enterprise zone" idea. Probably, as this drifts into public view, it will involve special breaks for business to locate or operate in poor areas. In my worst imaginings of this, it might include exemptions from labor laws, etc. These guys are always looking for wedges to undermine New Deal legislation, and I suspect this is what's at work here.

This bunch is always putting happy names on decidedly bad legislation.

Cheers.

[zbdent]

3. Hmm, will they have to sign a loyalty oath

just to work?

I know that there are a bunch of jobs right now that make you sign a statement that you cannot and will not go to another similar job until X months or years after you leave the one you signed the paper for . . .

[MsConduct]

4. shameful condition

Great analogy!

We all know that lack of wealth is a shameful and unforgivable condition. I'm surprised all of us poor unfortunates haven't been sent to the work camps long before now.

Peace

[liberalcanuck]

5. I felt very uncomfortable hearing that part of the chimp's speech

also. I rather the term Empowerment Zone - doesn't have the negative connotation of 'Opportunity Zone'.

[soothsayer]

6. I don't like empowerment. If you can empower someone, you can un-

empower them, too, imho.

[loudsue]

7. Almost as creepy as his spin on reforming the income tax laws....

Did anybody notice that he's slowly preparing folks for the flat tax idea? An idea that is horribly unfair to the working class and the poor?

It's something the neocons have been salivating over for decades, trying to spin it as being "fair" to the poor & middle class, when it is EXACTLY the opposite.

He was also hinting that taking away safety nets was "healthy" for a more competitive economy, and that safety nets are a disincentive.

His whole speech was nothing but trying to put lipstick on a pig.

:kick::kick::kick:

[belle]

9. It means, a Starbucks in every ghetto, a minimum wage-earner in

every family.